The Robinson Backstory

General manager Ted Thompson said the way the draft fell was the main reason the Packers wound up with two receivers, but the club clearly had its eye on going young because it signed three rookie free agent receivers shortly after the draft. The Packers had 13 receivers on the roster before Robinson’s release.

On the Monday after the draft, Robinson’s agent, Alvin Keels said, the Packers told him that Robinson would be on the bubble if he came to training camp and they asked him if he would like them to release his client. Keels asked them for permission to shop Robinson around the league for a trade, which he did, but ultimately a deal couldn’t be reached.

“There are a couple of teams who are interested,” Keels said. “They just weren’t interested in trading for Koren, at least at the terms the Packers were seeking. The Packers wanted a draft pick and a couple teams were offering a player that the Packers didn’t feel fit what they wanted.”

Thompson said he felt Robinson could definitely be an asset with another team and he was fairly sure he would get a chance with another team. He said part of the reason to make the move now was so Robinson could situated with a new team quickly.

“I think a lot of Koren,” Thompson said. “I’m very proud to be able to see him turn things around. He’s a true professional. He helped us in the locker room. He helped the young guys learn to be pros.”

Keels said Robinson was not bitter over his release and credited Thompson and personnel analyst John Schneider with saving his career. Both men had a relationship with Robinson from their days in Seattle and were willing to take a chance on him despite his troubles with alcohol.

Good (and fast) reporting on his release. I’m really pulling for the guy.

2 Responses to “The Robinson Backstory”

Me too. I feel bad that he did such a good job with his off the field life last year and gets cut…but they have to make decisions around footballl, of course. I hope Koren knows how much we appreciated him and goes on to something awesome.

I wish him all the luck int the world, except if his new team plays the Packers. I wish that there was room for him on the Packers but I’m glad that they gave him a chance and now he has a good opportunity to get on another team.